Melania Trump Brings Russian and Ukrainian Officials to the White House and Urges a Lasting Peace
First lady Melania Trump brought Russian and Ukrainian officials together at the White House on Nov. 5 and called for a peace more enduring than a temporary ceasefire, following the six-day humanitarian truce she helped broker in the occupied Ukrainian city of Oleshky.
The White House said it was the first time in American history that a first lady had personally brought representatives of two nations at war together at the White House for diplomacy.
“Now, we must use the courage we brought to Oleshky to find common ground through a shared concern for the suffering of innocent people,” she said. “Together, we can create something more enduring than a temporary ceasefire. Let us see Oleshky as a spark in a world of darkness, capable of illuminating the best in humanity. Build a powerful flame of peace, visible to the world. Ignite hope, foster cooperation, and brighten a path toward lasting peace.”
The delegations included Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman, and Davyd Arakhamia, a member of Ukraine’s parliament, along with Kirill Dmitriev, a Russian presidential envoy, and Yana Lantratova, Russia’s human rights commissioner. Lubinets presented the first lady with a Ukrainian state award.
Mrs. Trump said she acted as the exclusive intermediary in the Oleshky ceasefire. Russia and Ukraine signed agreements, written in both languages, on Friday, Oct. 23, and she helped arrange the delivery of humanitarian aid and the evacuation of residents. About 800 people left the city during the six-day ceasefire in the Russian-occupied Kherson region, and aid reached those who remained.
“The ceasefire in Oleshky would not be possible without President Putin and President Zelensky,” she said. “Their cooperation establishes a meaningful precedent for advancing peace throughout the region.”
The White House said she also wrote personal letters to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin and asked the delegations to deliver them.
No agreement on a lasting ceasefire was announced. The first lady called for one, and the delegations gathered to recognize the Oleshky achievement. Formal peace talks between the two countries have gone on without success since last year.
The next step is a U.S.-led round of trilateral talks in the United Arab Emirates. Reuters reported that Jared Kushner and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff will represent the United States at the talks on Nov. 10 and 11.
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, and the war is now entering its fifth year.